School board fires California teacher who called military members 'lowest of our low' in classroom

Editor's note: The Facebook video embedded in this story contains profanity.

A California school board voted unanimously Tuesday to fire high school teacher Gregory Salcido, whose rant about the military went viral after it was recorded by a student in his classroom.

Board of Education President Aurora Villon told The Los Angeles Times that Salcido has 30 days to appeal the El Rancho Unified school board's decision.

"The classroom should never be a place where students feel that they are picked at, bullied, intimidated," she said.

After the announcement, Salcido said in a text message to the Whittier Daily News that it “would not be appropriate to comment until I am officially notified of a decision by the district.” Salcido has been on leave from El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera after a video was circulated on social media of him in the classroom urging a 17-year-old student who was wearing a U.S. Marine Corps sweatshirt not to join the military.

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"They're not like high-level thinkers, they're not academic people, they're not intellectual people; they're the frickin' lowest of our low," Salcido said in the recording.

The video drew widespread criticism. White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, a retired Marine general, said on Fox News Radio, "Well, I think the guy ought to go to hell. I just hope he enjoys the liberties and the lifestyles that we fought for."

During a Pico Rivera City Council meeting last month, Salcido elaborated on his comments.

"I don't think it's all a revelation to anybody that those who aren't stellar students usually find the military a better option ... that's not a criticism of anybody. Anything I said had nothing to do with their moral character," he said.

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In this July 21, 2010, file photo, teacher Gregory Salcido poses in front of El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, Calif. A Los Angeles-area city council recently passed a resolution condemning and asking for the resignation of Salcido, whose anti-military remarks were recorded in a video that has drawn millions of views.KEITH DURFLINGER/LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS VIA AP